Training with Uechi-ryu, guns, knives, sticks........

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RACastanet
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Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
Location: Richmond, VA

Training with Uechi-ryu, guns, knives, sticks........

Post by RACastanet »

Hi all. I'm picking up on the last thread 'Armed and female' and restarting it on the theme of cross training.

Somewhat along the lines of Gary K. sensei's thread, the thing that bothers me most about my martial arts training is that there is not enough time to do everything justice. Also, I do not know of good, trustworthy instructors outside of Uechi-ryu.

If I lived near Raffi sensei, I'd spend a great deal of time working on knives and sticks. The annual camp visit just teases me. Fortunately, we have found a way to get Raf into Richmond on occasion, but it is still not often enough. How does one find a teacher like that one can trust?

Then there is Kobudo. Bill G. sensei dabbles in it, but again, on an infrequent basis. I'd love to be good with a tonfa.

Recently, I lucked out and found a great firearms instructor. We are currently midway through a 12 week course and it is great. He is not a martial artist in our sense, but listening to him is like reading Van sensei's posts. (By the way Raf, he will likely come to your Richmond Arnis class. His frame of reference for knife fighting is a 'GunSite' course. I have seen a video from them and it looks somewhat appropriate.)

So, what to do? Uechi stays as my prime activity, but I am diligently working with the firearms as that is a skill requiring precision and careful procedure. Like doing kata, the only way to perfection is through many repetitions.

As for being 'armed and female', the statistics show that a woman trained and equipped with a handgun benefits much more than a man does. And the benefit is shared with all women, armed or not.

As my skills with edged weapons and firearms increase, I plan to introduce these arts to the more advanced students in our dojo to share the wealth and to promote more cross training. The more people sharing the training, the more time we can spend on it.

Rich
Lori
Posts: 865
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 1998 6:01 am

Training with Uechi-ryu, guns, knives, sticks........

Post by Lori »

Hi Rich-san,

Good topic - worthy of more discussion. I share your frustration with not having enough time to train well in additional or complimentary arts. I'd like to add a couple points:

1) When to start cross-training

I heard somewhere that there was some kind of old rule/tradition that uechi-ryu students were not "allowed" to cross-train in weapons or other arts until reaching sandan level. I more or less held with that until nidan, when I began training in kung-fu (of the Wah Lum school that was at camp last year) and enjoyed it immensely. My sifu had some background in uechi-ryu and drew on my foundation to enhance my understanding in both styles. I kept up a grueling pace for about a year, three nights at the kwoon and four nights at the dojo - leaving kung-fu only after opening my own dojo and no longer had the time. I found many ways to improve my understanding of both styles, which I don't feel I would have had if I had started cross-training earlier than dan level. For what that's worth anyway... Any thoughts on when is a good time to start cross-training?

2) Depending on a weapon

I really liked the point that I think David brought up in the last thread - about his friend who trained so extensively with a knife that he felt naked without it. I was going to bring up a similar point. I have one of those combination "boken" (I think that's what it is called) knife things on my keychain - the knife is purely utility, but the boken is heavy and I have gotten very comfortable with it - carrying it for over five years now and practicing with it until it has become a part of my hand. The other day I found myself without it for the first time on a run, and it felt really WEIRD. I found myself thinking constantly about what was around me that I could use as an environment weapon, and it bothered me that I seemed to have a "dependence" upon it so that I missed having it! Any thoughts on depending too much on a weapon?

By the way Raffi Sensei - I can't wait to get into one of your classes - do you ever make it down south? If not you will definitely see me next camp!

3) Kobudo

One of the reasons I started kung fu training was to incorporate weapons into my martial arts - I loved working with the traditional Chinese weapons, and have had a bare minimum exposure to the Matayoshi Okinawn style kobudo - learning cho un no kun for bo - and one Taira sai kata from Sensei Thompson. I am frustrated at the lack of training available so that I could become more proficient in those and other traditional Okinawan weapons...

I have a tape of the famous Oar kata - and would like to try to imitate it if I ever feel confident enough - and yes JD - there is occasion for us here in the Redneck Riviera to use oars! Never know when you are going to come up against a pirate in the swamps! (Seriously though - some of us outdoorsy folks have them around when we go camping etc. - not as safe as it used to be! Though I bet your claymore would be a bit more effective somehow! But how in the world do you paddle a canoe with that?)

4) Firearms

Like a few of my karate sisters that have begun to frequent the forums - I also grew up with guns and am quite comfortable with them... (is there some kind of coincidence here? What are most female martial artists views on guns vs. the general population of women?) having had some training, but not enough and am interested in more. In my area it is limited at best and what is available is too cost prohibitive for me right now - but someday... A few years back I had a very interesting couple weeks training with an ex-mercenary - (very scary dude) who introduced some intense "reality" aspects into the training - really made me see that there is a hell of a lot more to it than target practice! I could use a course like that on a regular basis to hone those skills!

I saw on the news recently that there is a new training program for the police in the Orlando area that incorporates computer based stress scenario training - (or some such thing) that actually shoots back when the sensors detect an "opening" from the person in training - shooting them with rubber bullets. The training area is modified to simulate different types of buildings, warehouses etc. and is populated with friendlies and unfriendlies - but WAY beyond the old pop up cardboard cutouts - I would love to find a course like that for civilians.

So, just a few more points along those lines. Great discussion so far - thanks to all for contributing!

Peace,
Lori
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